A system and a concept called the ‘Internet’ intended for the good of humankind is now being used as a tool to propagate hate and perpetrate crimes. Has this great invention turned against its inventors? Has it brought more harm than good? Will inventors eventually create a system that will eradicate this Cyber Terrorism? Well, these are the questions that will keep ringing in our minds as technology evolves.
A brief history of the internet (or) cyberspace
In 1983, the internet first took form and was to go down in history as one of the greatest inventions of man yet.
The Internet is a global network of billions of computers and other electronic devices. With the Internet, it’s possible to access almost any information, communicate with anyone else in the world, and do much more. You can do all of this by connecting a computer (or) any enabled device to the Internet, which is also called going online.
1990 birthed the concept of a network of networks (also known as the World Wide Web-WWW).Tim Bernes-Lee was the scientist behind this invention. Although the internet cannot be credited to one specific scientist, Nikola Tesla toyed with the idea of a “world wireless system” in the early 1900’s. Clearly, the concept of the internet was simply a ticking time bomb waiting to explode; and it did!
The internet today
It was Bill Gates that said “The internet is becoming the town square for the global village of tomorrow” I guess the question we should now ask is, to what end?
The internet today is such a powerful force that is used for various purposes which have made modern-day life very simple. One can easily get any information they need of any subject within seconds! And this was the intention of its inventors. We are experiencing rapid growth of global integration or globalisation which by the help of the internet has made it easier for humans to have knowledge of various cultures, regions etc. that are millions of kilometres away.
To sum it up, the internet has narrowed and mitigated the limitations of Humans-Beings. Suffice to say, this has come at a cost. Just like all other aspects of life, human beings have been known to abuse, exploit systems in their custody. The internet has not been spared!
Cyber terrorism/cybercrime
Digital Guardian seeks to define the following.
Cyber in itself refers to relating to or characteristic of the culture of computers, information technology, and virtual reality.
Cyber Crime which are acts that are committed using in or by means of a virtual world; hacking, using code to deliberately gain unauthorized access; cyber warfare, an attack by a country on another;
Whereas cyber terrorism categorically focusses on the politically motivated use of computers and information technology to cause severe disruption or widespread fear in society. The internet apart from its intended dedicated purpose has been used by certain opportunistic individuals to make money and also on a national level to engage in what is known as cyber wars.
Hacking has now become a common phenomenon with victims ranging across nations, corporates and individuals. Hacking is defined as an attempt to exploit a computer system or network inside a computer simply put, it is the unauthorised access to or control over the network security systems for some illicit purpose. Victims of a successful hacking operation are now made to pay a ransom in order to retrieve their data. Such viruses are called ransomware and some companies have already been victims of the same. The hackers in these cases usually demand huge sums of money in return for data. This is however not guaranteed as the hackers may keep on increasing bounty and still leak confidential and sensitive information to the public domain.
Impact of cyber terrorism (Case study)
On a bigger scale, we recently saw a cyber-war between the United States of America and North Korea which threatened the USA ROK Alliance. North Korea has a high capacity to conduct robust cyber operations aimed at collecting foreign intelligence, disrupting foreign computers, information and communication systems, networks and critical infrastructures, and stirring public discontent and disorder in the enemy states.
From the above case study, it is evident that indeed the internet is now being used as a medium to cause global instability and ultimately propel wars. If this vice is not tamed, at the rate things are moving, the internet would have lost its intended purpose and would be the number one catalyst for the unprecedented future wars.
Apart from the case study above companies are now investing huge sums of money into Cybersecurity be it in specialised manpower or complex systems to combat this vice.
Cybersecurity
In light of this vice, Network security specialists have come up with a new study to combat this cyber-crime it is important because government, military, corporate, financial, and medical organizations collect, process, and store unprecedented amounts of data on computers and other devices. A significant portion of that data can be sensitive information, whether that be intellectual property, financial data, personal information, or other types of data for which unauthorized access or exposure could have negative consequences. Organizations transmit sensitive data across networks and to other devices in the course of doing business, and cybersecurity describes the discipline dedicated to protecting that information and the systems used to process or store it. As the volume and sophistication of cyber-attacks grow, companies and organizations, especially those that are tasked with safeguarding information relating to national security, health, or financial records, are at greater risk.
Conclusion
It can be agreed that even with the appreciation of cybersecurity, the internet is still at great risk. The main challenge that cybersecurity is facing is the ever-evolving nature of security risks themselves. Traditionally, organizations and the government have focused most of their cybersecurity resources on perimeter security to protect only their most crucial system components and defend against known threats. Today, this approach is insufficient, as the threats advance and change more quickly than organizations can keep up with.
Chilombo Katongo holds a bachelor’s in Science (Computer Science) and is currently an IT consultant at KPMG in Zambia and also a member of the ICT Association of Zambia (ICTAZ). The views expressed in this article are his own and not necessarily those of KPMG. |
References
https://digitalguardian.com/blog/what-cyber-security
University of Mary Land-https://www.umgc.edu/academic-programs/cyber-security/about.cfm